Post Note Roll Tape and Three Pack Tape Dispenser

ABSTRACT

A sheet dispenser includes a first dispensing unit for dispensing a first sheet, a second dispensing unit for dispensing a second sheet, and a third dispensing unit for dispensing a third sheet. The first dispensing unit includes a first dispensing area having a first edge with outward projections; the second dispensing unit includes a second dispensing area having a second edge with outward projections; and the third dispensing unit includes a third dispensing area having a third edge without outward projections.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to Post-it sheets and a dispenser to dispense them.

BACKGROUND

The use of lightly adhesive POST-IT sheets having write-on surfaces for adhesively attaching notes and memos to other objects has become well known and is a part of every well-organized desk and office work surface. These conventional POST-IT pads are available in separate stacks, removable one sheet at a time, each sheet having a light adhesive over common edge margins to maintain the stack.

The next improvement in the POST-IT type product has been the alternate edge adhesive attachment between successive sheets which has facilitated dispensing the POST-IT sheets one at a time from a suitably constructed holder. A still further improvement in this basic concept of alternate adhesive attachment between adjacent sheets has extended into tape marker flags having a portion thereof bearing a highlighted color to draw attention to an area of a work document such as for indicating a signature line and the like.

The following prior U.S. patents deal with holders for the alternately attached POST-IT stacks and tape marker flag dispensers specially constructed for the dispensing of the tape marker flags one at a time for adhesive attachment to other objects:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,306 to Smith U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,168 to Mertens et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,519 to Sugarman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,955 to Windorski et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,938 to Loder U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,815 to Carlson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,233 to Frey U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,127 to Windorski U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,781 to Windorski U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,440 to Windorski U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,392 to Smith U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,117 to Mertens U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,584 to Windorski U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,254 to Feer U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,951 to Levine U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,428 to Hurwitz U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,138 to Carlson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,375 to Carlson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,270 to Fujisawa et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,144 to Samuelson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,141 to Carlson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,712 to Carlson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,153 to Linn U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,346 to Bodziak U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,570 to Windorski et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,205 to Bodziak et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,250 to Freitag U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,946 to Blackwell et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,255 to Windorski U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,628 to Evenson U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,590 to Windorski U.S. Pat. No. D327294 to Feer

SUMMARY

The present invention will help consumers easily locate their post notes strips which can be used in a similar fashion as tape is dispensed. The present invention can be used with any roll tape product such as US postage stamps, characters, designs, signs, signals or any animated drawing form or any lightly adhesive sheet. The tape roll post note product of the present invention may have a weakened area for easy separation of the individual sheet and the corresponding post note from the tape roll post note product.

A sheet dispenser includes a first dispensing unit for dispensing a first sheet, a second dispensing unit for dispensing a second sheet, and a third dispensing unit for dispensing a third sheet. The first dispensing unit includes a first dispensing area having a first edge with outward projections; the second dispensing unit includes a second dispensing area having a second edge with outward projections; and the third dispensing unit includes a third dispensing area having a third edge without outward projections.

A sheet dispenser includes a first dispensing unit for dispensing a first sheet, a second dispensing unit for dispensing a second sheet, and a third dispensing unit for dispensing a third sheet. The first dispensing unit includes a first dispensing area having a first edge with outward projections; the second dispensing unit includes a second dispensing area having a second edge without outward projections; and the third dispensing unit includes a third dispensing area having a third edge without outward projections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the continuous sheets/post notes;

FIG. 2 illustrates the continuous sheets and non continuous post notes of the present invention;

FIG. 2A illustrates a detail of the non continuous post notes of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a roll of a continuous sheet;

FIG. 3 a illustrates a post note dispenser;

FIG. 4 illustrates a dispenser of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 illustrates an additional dispenser of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Post notes, tape markers and the like will be referred to as post notes. FIG. 1 illustrates various post notes on continuous rolls. More specifically, non-continuous first post notes 103 include a light or releaseable adhesive back portion of the post note 103 including the light or releasably adhesive which allows the first post note 103 to be removed from the first continuous sheet 102. The non-continuous first post note 103 may include indicia such as ‘sign here’. As a consequence, the user can easily and quickly removed the non continuous first post note 103 from the first continuous sheet 102 and reattach the non-continuous first post note 103 on another surface. FIG. 1 additionally illustrates a non continuous second post note 105 such as US postage stamps which includes a light or releasably adhesive on the back of the non continuous second post note 105 to attach to a second continuous sheet 104.

FIG. 1 additionally illustrates a non continuous third post note 107 which includes a light or releasably adhesive on the back surface of the non continuous third post note 107 to attach to a third continuous sheet 106.

FIG. 2 illustrates various examples of the continuous sheet having a weakened area between the individual non continuous post notes. More particularly, FIG. 2 illustrates a first continuous sheet 202 and a non continuous first post note 203. The first continuous sheet 202 includes a first weakened area 213 between individual non continuous first post note 203, and the first weakened area 213 allows the separation of the portion of the first continuous sheet 202 with the non continuous first post note 203 remaining on the portion of the continuous first sheet 202. This allows the user to delay in applying the non continuous first post note 203 on another surface.

FIG. 2 additionally illustrates a non continuous second post note 205 positioned on a second continuous sheet 204 which includes a second weakened area 215 which allows a portion of the second continuous sheet 204 to be separated from the remaining portion of the second continuous sheet 204 without removing the non continuous second post note 205.

FIG. 2 additionally illustrates a non continuous third post note 207 positioned on a third continuous sheet 206 which includes a third weakened area 217 which allows a portion of the third continuous sheet 206 to be separated from the remaining portion of the third continuous sheet 206.

FIG. 2 illustrates that the releasably adhesive may not be uniformly applied to the back surface of the first post note 203. More particularly, FIG. 2 illustrates that the first post note 203 includes a first area 220 which includes the releasably adhesive on the back side of the first post note 203 and a second area 222 which says not include the releasably adhesive on the back side of the first post note 203. The first area 220 and the second area 222 are adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the first post note 203. This allows the user of the first post note 203 to remove the first post note 203 since the second area 222 can be easily grasped by the user.

FIG. 2 additionally illustrates a non continuous fourth post note 228 having a third area 224 which has a releasably adhesive on the back surface and a fourth area 226 which does not have a releasably adhesive on the back surface. The third area 224 is positioned towards the front of the fourth post 228 while the fourth area 226 is positioned towards the back of the fourth post note 228. The user can easily grasp the fourth area 226 and remove the fourth post note 228.

FIG. 2A illustrates a portion of the first continuous sheet 202 and shows the first weakened area 213 between two non continuous first post notes.

FIG. 3 illustrates a roll of third continuous sheet 106 with non continuous third post note 107 and with no weakened area between the non continuous third post note 107.

FIG. 3A illustrates the roll of third continuous sheet 106 and the non continuous third post note 107 with no weakened area mounted on a single dispenser 302.

FIG. 4 illustrates a dispenser 400 in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a roll of the first continuous sheet 202 having a first weakened area 213 between the non continuous first post notes 203. The dispenser 400 includes first dispensing unit 432 having a first depression 422 which has a pair of opposing first slots 423 in the walls of the first depression 422 and a first dispensing area 442. The first dispensing area 442 includes a first edge 450 having outward projections 451 in order to separate the first continuous sheet 202. The dispenser 400 includes a second dispensing unit 434 having a second depression 424 which has opposing second slots 425 in the wall of the second depression 424. The opposing second slots 425 hold a cylindrical shaft 430 for holding and allowing the continuous sheet to rotate and dispense the continuous sheet. The second dispensing unit 434 includes a second dispensing area 444 which includes a second edge 452 having outward projections 453 in order to separate the continuous sheet. FIG. 4 additionally illustrates a third dispensing unit 436 and a third depression 426 having opposing third slots 427. The opposing third slots 427 holds the cylindrical shaft 430 to allow the roll of the continuous sheet 202 to rotate and dispense the non continuous first post notes 203. The third dispensing unit 436 includes a third dispensing area 446 having a smooth edge 454. The smooth edge 454 provides a uniform edge for separating the weakened area 213. The first depression 422 and the second depression 424 hold a roll of continuous sheets and non continuous post notes without a weakened area.

FIG. 4 illustrates that the first dispensing unit 432 and the second dispensing unit 434 includes a first dispensing area 442 and a second dispensing area 444, respectively. Both the first dispensing area 442 and the second dispensing area 444 include outward projections 451 and outward projections 453, respectively.

FIG. 5 illustrates a dispenser 500 having three dispensing units 532, 534, 536 and having a first dispensing area 542, a second dispensing area 544 and a third dispensing area 544, respectively. The first dispensing area 542 includes a first edge 550 including outward projections 551 while the second dispensing area 554 and the third dispensing area 554 include a second edge 552 which is smooth and a third edge 554 which is smooth. Consequently, the dispenser 500 can dispense third continuous sheet 106 having no weakened areas and can dispense first and second continuous sheets 202, 204 each having a weakened area 213, 215.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. 

1. A sheet dispenser, comprising: a first dispensing unit for dispensing a first sheet; a second dispensing unit for dispensing a second sheet; a third dispensing unit for dispensing a third sheet; wherein said first dispensing unit includes a first dispensing area having a first edge with outward projections, wherein said second dispensing unit includes a second dispensing area having a second edge with outward projections, wherein said third dispensing unit includes a third dispensing area having a third edge without outward projections.
 2. A sheet dispenser as in claim 1, wherein said first dispensing unit includes a first slot in a wall of a first depression.
 3. A sheet dispenser as in claim 2, wherein said second dispensing unit includes a second slot in a wall of a second depression.
 4. A sheet dispenser as in claim 3, wherein said third dispensing unit includes a third slot in a wall of a third depression.
 5. A sheet dispenser, comprising: a first dispensing unit for dispensing a first sheet; a second dispensing unit for dispensing a second sheet; a third dispensing unit for dispensing a third sheet; wherein said first dispensing unit includes a first dispensing area having a first edge without outward projections, wherein said second dispensing unit includes a second dispensing area having a second edge with outward projections, wherein said third dispensing unit includes a third dispensing area having a third edge without outward projections.
 6. A sheet dispenser as in claim 5, wherein said first dispensing unit includes a first slot in a wall of a first depression.
 7. A sheet dispenser as in claim 6, wherein said second dispensing unit includes a second slot in a wall of a second depression.
 8. A sheet dispenser as in claim 7, wherein said third dispensing unit includes a third slot in a wall of a third depression. 